Page 3 of Unwanted

His lips twisted in pain. "I loved him with everything I had, and he pushed it away. It was still not enough…" He choked on these words, his eyes growing glassy and vacant.

A shiver went through my spine, and I said, "He didn’t deserve your devotion, Liam. There are people in this world who would die just to have someone who cares that deeply—someone for whom they are the whole world. He received a gift people rarely get. It’s his loss that he rejected it."

For a moment, our eyes met, and something flickered in his gaze.

"You don’t know what you’re saying. My obsession was… it was probably too much. You should have seen Soren today when I came to their house covered in made-up hickeys, wanting tomess up his relationship with Skye. I probably said some vile shit, wishing them unspeakable things…"

His eyes bored into me, an intensity flashing as he narrowed his gaze. "It may be the other way around. Maybe I’m not the one in danger here—you are, by inviting me to live with you. Perhaps I’m just some crazy psycho who does horrible things when I’m feeling unstable and angry…"

I took a moment to choose my words carefully, leaning slightly toward him, closer to his ear.

"I stand my ground here. You were a gift that was underappreciated. But I believe you’ll find someone who will cherish your intensity and fierceness. Your devotion. Don’t hide it—it could be a rare gem for people who’ve only had lukewarm relationships before…"

Smiling warmly, I straightened up. Liam stared at me, his pupils slightly dilated, his breathing quickened.

"Now, there’s a time and place for everything. You’ve been through a lot and need a break. So, I’m asking you to stay with me for at least these two weeks you’ve taken off work. Use this time to relax, be around different people. I might even invite my brother Jim and his kids, if you’d like. You’ll meet new people, and it’ll be good for your mind."

Liam blinked and let out a short, sharp breath. Then he swallowed, but didn’t respond right away.

So I got up, poured him some soup, which had finished heating, and placed the bowl in front of him, handing him a spoon.

He stared at the yellowish surface of the soup for a moment before saying, "I appreciate it. It’s nice that you care about what happens to me, my mental health, but don’t expect quick results. I was in love with Soren for ten years. Two weeks might not be enough to change that."

"Liam, I don’t expect magic. I just hope the thoughts that led you to the cliff don’t ever come back. That’s all I want. Seeing you there… it really got to me. You’re young; you have so much potential. From what Winter said, you’re a great worker, and Skye mentioned you’ve also been a caring, selfless partner. Not scary at all, but a loving one." I sent him a rueful smile. "Someone like that shouldn’t be wasted. It tears me apart even to think about it. So please stay here for these two weeks. Give me this chance to help you."

Cappuccino-colored eyes stared at me for a few seconds before Liam lowered his gaze to the soup.

"I'm not… I'm not that valuable. I’m just trash, unwanted by everyone. Do you know that throughout our relationship, Soren would never touch me, not even kiss me? He pulled away, grimaced, repulsed by me. So, I must be disgusting," he groaned, his voice so pained that I couldn’t hold back anymore. I went closer and hugged him, again noticing how thin and fragile he was.

"Soren pushed you away because he found his True Mate! Did you know they feel instinctive repulsion for anyone else? They can’t cheat; their bond is unbreakable. Do you understand?" I whispered in his ear. His head leaned slightly against my shoulder, and I could almost physically feel his swirling, chaotic emotions. My own emotions were building up as well.

"He didn’t even want to hug me…"

My hand gently stroked his back as I responded, "Soren wasn’t more disgusted by you than by anyone else. He just found everyone else repulsive except Skye. That’s how it works. True Mates bond for life, and they can’t break that off. It’s a powerful, healing connection that only ends in death. One dies, the other dies too." I tilted my head back and peered into his watery eyes. "There’s nothing wrong with you, Liam. You’re not disgusting.It’s actually the other way around. I promise, if you had any other boyfriend, there would be a lot of touching. I’m sure of that."

Liam remained still in my arms. I had the strange feeling that he wanted to stay there longer, but I couldn’t prolong invading his personal space like that. I was his host, and it would quickly become awkward, so I let him go and smiled warmly. "Well, dig in. The soup is warm."

He seemed a little flushed as he picked up the spoon and tasted the soup. "It’s really good. Thank you."

I noticed he was eating with a healthy appetite, so I brought the pot over and gave him a second helping without asking. He accepted it with a slight smile and finished the second as well.

"Good, you’ve still got an appetite. We’ll get you back to normal in no time," I said, trying to keep the tone light.

"Thanks… thank you for everything," he whispered, blushing as he nervously tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.

"Okay, how about we go check out the loft now?"

Liam nodded, though I could see his body stiffen just a little. We walked up the stairs to the room on the left, which had a skylight. The room wasn’t big—about 13 feet wide and 9 feet long—just enough space for a bed, a narrow wardrobe along the wall, and a tiny desk in the corner. But the large skylight let in plenty of light, making the room feel bright. There was also a smaller side window with a view of the yard, where you could see the terrace with the jacuzzi and my ornamental grasses that covered the rest of the garden.

Liam walked over to the window and looked out, then turned and glanced at the bed. It was a little over 5 feet wide, which didn't leave much space to walk around. I had put that bed there because my brother Jim often visited with his husband, and they slept in this room while their kids stayed in the other.It was way more comfortable than the narrow bed in the second room, so I figured it was a good choice for Liam.

"It’s a bit tight in here, I admit, but I hope you’ll still sleep well."

"It’s perfect; the room’s just perfect," Liam murmured shyly.

"Where were you living before? Were you renting alone or with Soren?"

"I used to rent with Soren, but after he moved out, I didn’t want to keep a two-bedroom apartment on my own, so I got a much smaller studio."

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